Japan PM Takaichi risks China’s wrath with offering to Yasukuni shrine
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Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi’s offering of a sacred tree to the Yasukuni shrine is in line with similar moves by her predecessors during their time in office.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made an offering to a shrine seen by Japan’s neighbours as glorifying its wartime past, in a move that stops short of a visit but may still anger China and other neighbouring nations.
Her offering of a sacred tree was made on the first day of a traditional spring festival at Yasukuni, according to the local media, and is in line with similar moves by her predecessors Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida during their time in office.
While her decision to not go to the shrine showed her more cautious stance on the issue, the leader of a party in her ruling coalition visited the shrine on April 21, according to the Nikkei newspaper.
“My understanding is that Prime Minister Takaichi made an offering in a personal capacity, so we as the government are not in a position to comment on the matter,” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said in a regular news briefing on April 21. Ms Takaichi sent a “masakaki” tree offering, AFP reported.
Mr Kihara did not comment on the reported visit by Mr Fumitake Fujita, co-leader of the Japan Innovation Party.
Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing remain strained following Ms Takaichi’s suggestion in Parliament in 2025 that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could constitute a legal justification for Japan to send troops.
The comments triggered a backlash from China including trade curbs and travel warnings, putting the two Asian economies at loggerheads for months on issues spanning defence, diplomacy and the economy.
The latest offering may irritate China and other neighbours who see the shrine as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism, but the move shows that Ms Takaichi has chosen to stay in line with the approach taken by Japanese leaders over the past decade to avoid stoking regional tensions.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said his nation “resolutely opposes and strongly condemns Japan’s recent negative moves concerning the Yasukuni shrine”. He added at the regular press briefing that Beijing had filed a diplomatic complaint with Tokyo over the matter.
South Korea expressed “deep disappointment and regret” on April 21 over the offering.
“Our government urges Japan’s responsible leaders to face history squarely and to demonstrate, through action, a humble reflection on and a sincere remorse for its past,” foreign ministry spokesman Park Il told reporters.
“We reiterate that this serves as an important foundation for building a future‑oriented South Korea-Japan relationship grounded in mutual trust,” he said.
Ms Takaichi has been a regular visitor to the shrine in recent years, including on the Aug 15 anniversary in 2025 marking the end of the war, and the spring festival.
Most prime ministers and Cabinet ministers have avoided visiting the shrine in recent years, but Ms Takaichi continued to visit while part of the Cabinet.
Ms Takaichi, who is known to hold conservative views and had said previously that she would continue visiting the shrine if she were to become prime minister, said “this shouldn’t become a diplomatic issue”, in late 2025 when asked if she would visit the shrine.
“I’ll make appropriate decisions at the appropriate time on praying for peace,” she added.
Mr Fujita’s visit, if confirmed, exemplifies the rightward shift of the ruling bloc since Ms Takaichi came to power, triggering the exit of a former junior coalition partner that touted pacifism and served as a moderating force for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s conservatism at times.
Yasukuni shrine in central Tokyo honours millions of Japanese war dead, including convicted war criminals after World War II. It is generally viewed by Japan’s neighbours, particularly South Korea and China, as a symbol of the country’s past militarism.
Some Japanese equate it to Arlington Cemetery, the main burial site for the US military, although Japan has a separate non-religious memorial site for its war dead.
The last sitting Japanese prime minister to visit Yasukuni shrine was Mr Shinzo Abe, a mentor for Ms Takaichi, in 2013. The visit brought a rare rebuke from the US and Mr Abe subsequently held off on visiting the shrine until after he stood down as leader in 2020. BLOOMBERG
